We rolled up our sleeves to plant 39 new trees

Last month, we joined forces with the City of Chula Vista for a modified Arbor Day Celebration and Tree Planting Day. Together, our two teams planted 16 trees at Sunridge Park in Chula Vista, and have since planted another 23 trees in December. The trees were planted along Orange Avenue and in other parks, bringing a total of 39 new trees to communities in Chula Vista.

This effort builds upon a long-standing partnership between the City of Chula Vista and our company, which has resulted in the planting of hundreds of trees, primarily on the west side of Chula Vista.

In our service territory, the Vegetation Management Department maintains an electronic tree database to track the inspection, trimming and auditing of approximately 460,000 trees in our service area. When we need to remove a tree because it poses a safety hazard or could impact the reliability of our energy delivery system, we always offer to plant a replacement tree. In Chula Vista, both the City and our company keep a count of the number of trees removed and each year we donate at least that number of trees for Chula Vista’s annual Arbor Day planting effort.

Arbor Day, which is typically celebrated in April each year, was postponed this year due to COVID-19.

Miles of trees

Working together with the City of Chula Vista, we have been methodically planting the center median of Orange Avenue, one of the City’s main arteries, with Canary Island Pines. Thanks to this partnership, you can now find trees stretching for two and a half miles with the beautification of the Orange Ave center median.

Not only does this project beautify a major thoroughfare on the west side of Chula Vista, it also benefits the environment. The Pines will hold carbon in its wood, sequestering it. Most of the time, the trees that we have to remove are palm trees, which capture no carbon. So, these Canary Island Pines are a much better option for carbon sequestration, a major theme

This partnership speaks to one element of our Sustainability Strategy. As part of our overarching commitment to building better communities, we have committed to planting 10,000 trees annually, beginning next year. This builds upon our existing charitable partnerships that support tree planting, tree stewardship and tree maintenance best practices as well as the efforts by our Vegetation Management team to partner with various cities to support their urban canopy goals.

Right tree, right place

Both the City of Chula Vista and our company support the right tree, right place approach. That means that before you plant a tree, think about what’s around, such as overhead electric lines, underground gas or water lines, or how big the tree might get. We also offer a comprehensive tree planting guide to help inform your decision.

Lastly, before you start digging, please call 811 at least two working days before you plan to dig, so that someone can come out and mark your underground utility lines.